Vtech 2014 Annual Report Download - page 26

Environmental Protection
In addition to making significant efforts
to design our products to minimise their
environmental impact, we also operate our
manufacturing processes and facilities in
the same manner. Our TEL and CMS manufacturing facilities
are certified with the ISO14001 standard for environmental
management, demonstrating that we are committed to
continuous improvement. Although our manufacturing
facilities are low risk in terms of pollution incidents compared
to many factories in China, we go beyond minimum
requirements. We are committed to the prevention of pollution
throughout our supply chain by engaging with our suppliers
and managing our logistics requirements to further minimise
our environmental impact and improve the energy efficiency of
our operations.
To achieve this, VTech has teams comprising individuals from
across the organisation. Our environmental policy is reviewed
annually to ensure that it is relevant and up to date.
Workplace Quality
VTech continually strives to provide a
supportive, pleasant and healthy workplace
for our staff, and to foster a caring
community in our working environment. We
care for our employees and recognise that having good staff
relations and a motivated workforce play a vital role in the
Group’s efficient operation.
All our manufacturing facilities are certified to meet the
international Occupational Health and Safety Standards (OHSAS
18001), with TEL and CMS manufacturing facilities also certified
with international standards of Social Accountability (SA8000),
and ELPs with International Council of Toy Industries standards
(ICTI CARE). All of these certifications demonstrate external
verification of our compliance with local laws and quality
working conditions. In order to ensure the effectiveness of
our workplace management system, we have cross-functional
teams and committees that meet quarterly, involving staff
representatives and managers, to assess risks, determine goals
and targets, and set up improvement projects and review
progress. The Sustainability Sub-Committees also undertake an
annual review and make improvement recommendations to
the functional team members.
At VTech, workplace safety is our number one priority. We are
committed to providing our employees with a healthy and
safe working environment. Our goal is to instill robust safety
measures at every level of the company and to ensure the
physical well-being of employees through the implementation
of our “Health and Safety” programme. Our activities in
operational health and safety resulted in a 33% reduction on
safety related incidents between FY2014 and FY2013.
VTech also recognises that a capable and motivated workforce
is integral to our success. We actively promote continuous
learning and provide different kinds of training programmes
for our employees, encouraging them to develop and advance
their careers in our company. These include general training
courses such as business skills and knowledge, effective
communication skills, foreign language and leadership courses.
Outdoor team building activities and off-site management
workshops are also arranged for the employees on specific
topics. Subsidised external professional courses are also
available for staff where the development needs match the
requirements of the company.
The key environmental impacts from VTech’s operations
relate to energy and water consumption, waste production
and logistics. We are committed to the following principles in
environmental protection:
Comply with all relevant environmental, legal and other
statutory requirements
Maintain an Environmental Management System in line with
the requirements of ISO14001:2004
Quantify and monitor the significant environmental impacts
of our activities, products and services, and set specific
targets for improvement in the respective areas and review
these annually
Integrate environmental objectives into our business
decisions in a cost effective manner
Require all staff to address environmental responsibilities
within normal operating procedures
Enhance awareness of environmental and resource
efficiency issues amongst our customers, staff and
stakeholders through improvement projects and
programmes in the respective areas
Green roof at ELPs production building
24 VTech Holdings Limited Annual Report 2014
Sustainability